The Gospel of Thomas

[Doug Millison]

Musashi Miyamoto notes that "Slothrop's epiphany is not based on faith,
i.e. belief, past or future."

It might have been better  to say "religious traditions" instead of "faith
traditions" [when I said "Slothrop's epiphany seems to me yet another
example of the way Pynchon affirms the mystical experience that lies at the
heart of Christianity (and other faith traditions) even as he rails against
the crimes of the institutional Church"] -- that would be inclusive enough
to handle Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, etc., wouldn't it?
Although, even the Buddha had to have faith that transcendence was possible
in order to achieve it, didn't he?

Since S's experience seems to occur rather naturally without any special
meditation practice, you might also say it resembles the kind of break with
consensual reality that some observers could interpret as psychotic or
schizophrenic.


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